Here we are on the cusp of entering Thanksgiving week. Thanksgiving these days seems to be less of a time celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year, and more about shopping for the best Black Friday deals and putting up the Christmas tree. Christmas can be such a fun and exciting season, but for many, it can be a time of grief, sadness, and financial struggle. I recall one such year. Thirteen years ago, I found myself in the midst of a difficult time of life and financial distress. But then on one cold December day, an anonymous envelope of cash appeared. You can imagine the myriad of emotions; relief, gratitude, embarrassment, excitement, unworthiness . . . and the mystery, the mystery was grinding at me as I strongly desired to know who was the giver so that I could properly thank them, hug them, and let them know how much of a blessing this was and ultimately how I could repay them. I prayed for that person, thanked God for them, and chose to redirect my gratitude to help and serve others in any way that I could.
Grace is kind of like that. I said “kind of”. We know that grace is a gift from God. We know the giver, but how are we even deserving to be on the receiving end of such an enormous gift, and how will we redirect our expression of gratitude? And will we? In today’s Bible reading, we see the mystery of how the grace of God just appears.
Titus 2:11 “ . . . the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Did you catch that part about grace? It just appears like an epiphany. You don’t have to add it to your shopping list, or go out and get it, you don’t earn it, it just comes to us, and we have the opportunity to receive it. And check this out, it teaches us . . . Grace teaches!!! Charles Spurgeon writes, “Thus you see that grace has its own disciples. Are you a disciple of the grace of God? Did you ever come and submit yourself to it?” By the way, Titus chapter 2 is filled with teaching, and the book overall teaches us the importance of doing good, and why doing good matters. I strongly encourage you to read it in its entirety, you won’t be disappointed.
Grace teaches and trains us to:
Say no to ungodliness and worldliness.
Live self-controlled and upright.
To do good.
How to wait well and wait with a heavenly perspective.
And then Paul adds, “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”
This Thanksgiving and everyday, let’s express our gratitude for the grace of God that says: “All are welcome. Come as you are and be prepared and willing for God to change you.” Because when you recognize the true Giver of grace and cost of grace, you recognize that it is a debt that you cannot pay, and you are compelled to change…out of gratitude.
A mark of saving grace is a growing heart for evangelism, and another mark would be that we want others to experience it. Will there be anyone at your Thanksgiving table who needs God’s saving grace? Let us persevere in the training we’ve learned today, and may we always depend on his perfect grace.
Grace is kind of like that. I said “kind of”. We know that grace is a gift from God. We know the giver, but how are we even deserving to be on the receiving end of such an enormous gift, and how will we redirect our expression of gratitude? And will we? In today’s Bible reading, we see the mystery of how the grace of God just appears.
Titus 2:11 “ . . . the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Did you catch that part about grace? It just appears like an epiphany. You don’t have to add it to your shopping list, or go out and get it, you don’t earn it, it just comes to us, and we have the opportunity to receive it. And check this out, it teaches us . . . Grace teaches!!! Charles Spurgeon writes, “Thus you see that grace has its own disciples. Are you a disciple of the grace of God? Did you ever come and submit yourself to it?” By the way, Titus chapter 2 is filled with teaching, and the book overall teaches us the importance of doing good, and why doing good matters. I strongly encourage you to read it in its entirety, you won’t be disappointed.
Grace teaches and trains us to:
Say no to ungodliness and worldliness.
Live self-controlled and upright.
To do good.
How to wait well and wait with a heavenly perspective.
And then Paul adds, “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”
This Thanksgiving and everyday, let’s express our gratitude for the grace of God that says: “All are welcome. Come as you are and be prepared and willing for God to change you.” Because when you recognize the true Giver of grace and cost of grace, you recognize that it is a debt that you cannot pay, and you are compelled to change…out of gratitude.
A mark of saving grace is a growing heart for evangelism, and another mark would be that we want others to experience it. Will there be anyone at your Thanksgiving table who needs God’s saving grace? Let us persevere in the training we’ve learned today, and may we always depend on his perfect grace.